DTOR
by Kenelfie
Summary: D,T,O and R. The four letters 'doctor' and 'editor' have in common. But Hatori and Mii know they have more in common than that as they talk about the one that brings them together.


Mii is such an under loved character…I had to write this for her! Updates on other fics will be coming soon, but for now I present this little one-shot for your entertainment.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I would point out the points I will make below in the series.

Mii sat in stunned silence as she read the note posted on one Shigure Sohma's door. She needed his latest manuscript _today_ and he decided to go hitchhiking across Japan…_**How dare he**!_

The editor was so angry she didn't hear a car pull up behind her or the door of the aforementioned car slam. She didn't realize someone else was there until the man coughed.

"I suppose you're Mii, Shigure's editor." The brunette said in monotone one she looked up at him.

"Uh huh." She agreed. Her mind was much too panicked to say anything more complicated.

"Then you're wasting your time here. Shigure decided to conveniently disappear and from the note he left you, he's hitchhiking." His one visible eye looked at her in a manner she found to be rather intimidating.

"Why?" She whispered, putting so much emotion into one tiny word.

"Because Shigure is a little boy in a grown and likes to tease people he likes." Mr. Intimidating answered with a sigh. She stared up at him with a look that reminded him of a sad Kisa. "I'll give you a ride home." He offered, the resemblance to his young cousin bringing out some of the kindness that was usually hidden due to his shyness.

She looked to the hand he offered to help her up. She would very much like a ride instead of walking, but she knew better than to get into a car with a complete stranger.

He seemed to have sensed her thoughts because he began to introduce himself. "I'm Shigure's more responsible cousin, Hatori Sohma."

Hatori. That was a familiar name. Shigure had mentioned him before….Now that she thought about it, wasn't there a picture of the two along with another man in Shigure's office?

"You're a doctor, right?" She asked him, struggling to remember all she could about him.

He nodded. "So the idiot talks about me…"

"He also said that you ruin all of his fun." At this Hatori smirked.

"It's lucky for you I do." Mii looked confused. "Who else would make him call you while at the lake house?"

"That was you?" Mii was amazed. Hatori advantage of her shock and pulled her to her feet. "I…Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome." Hatori led her to his car. She gratefully slid into the passenger seat.

While she got comfortable, Hatori brought a long, wrapped box out of the back seat and left it on the porch, a letter addressed to Tohru on top.

"What's that?" Mii asked curiously as he adjusted himself into the driver's seat and began to drive away from the cozy house a lazy novelist and three teenagers called home.

"Prom is coming soon and since we know Tohru doesn't have the money to buy a dress Ayame made her one. He's working on making a suit for Yuki, who is his younger brother." He explained. "Dropping it off was my reason for coming today."

"Did Shigure tell you he was leaving?"

"No. Ayame told me to give it to him today. We're his best friends, or so he claims, and he still tells us nothing."

"I was starting to think he did that just to torture me." Mii admitted.

"He unfortunately does it to everyone." Hatori assured her. "Where do you live?"

"Go left on the next road." She directed. "What's he like when he's not joking and teasing?"

Hatori sighed. "That's a hard question and I'm not sure anyone really knows the answer to it. Every time I think I've completely figured him out, he'll do something to flip the tables and I realize how little I truly know."

"That's really sad…" Mii looked down at her neatly folded hands, which were resting in her lap.

"One thing I can say about him with certainty is that he's loyal. He's always been there for the family when he's needed most." Hatori continued.

"Which way?" He asked as they came to a four way stop.

"Right."

"Have you ever taken much time to talk with him?" Hatori shifted the subject from himself to her.

"I've barely been able to talk with him about work. He always runs from me and I don't think he likes me very much."

"If I'm interpreting his behavior correctly, he likes you a lot more than he's willing to let on."

"What?" She was startled. "I didn't know that he even likes me at all. Some days I think he must hate me."

"I may not know many of Shigure's schemes, but he's been rather sloppy in disguising his feelings towards you, which means he probably wants you to figure him out." Hatori explained in a professional tone.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Tormenting you keeps your attention focused on him." He noted her obvious confusion. "How much time do you spend thinking about Shigure in relation to other men?"

Mii thought for a moment. "I think of him a lot more…"

"Exactly. He wants you to think of him constantly."

There was a moment of silence.

"If he has feelings for me he should just say it." She decided firmly.

"He can't."

"Why not?" Feeling lost again Mii wished he would be less vague.

"Because of a family situation you would be hurt and forced to leave." Hatori thought for a moment of Kana, then blocked her from his mind.

"He surely doesn't believe I'd leave him because of his family, does he?" She asked in disbelief, wondering how bad the Sohmas could possibly be.

Hatori gave her a cheerless smile. "He's seen it happen before."

"You sound like you're speaking from personal experience." She commented, not realizing how close she was to the truth. Hatori didn't answer.

"Which apartment complex do you live in?" Hatori asked as he drove into the city.

"I live in the Dog Division of the Zodiac complexes." She answered as he turned to pull into the parking lot.

"The Zodiac complexes are Sohma owned. If the Head of the family doesn't like the idea of Shigure even potentially having a romantic relationship with you, then you will lose your apartment."

"Why does one person decide what another can do? Is this for all Sohmas?" She asked. Her voice was distressed.

"This is the price of being in the 'Inner Circle'." Hatori answered.

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because Shigure needs you to understand and he won't say it himself."

"So it's just for Shigure." Mii tried not to sound disappointed. Just once, it would be nice to have someone care about her.

"And I don't want to see you destroyed." Hatori couldn't handle another Kana. He was glad when he found a parking spot.

"I have just one more question." Mii opened the door and put one leg out. "Who was she?"

"What?" Now Hatori was shocked.

"Nevermind. IT was a personal question; I should never have asked." Mii bit her bottom lip. "Thank you for the ride and talking with me." She shut the door and began to walk off.

"Wait." Hatori rolled down his window and handed her a card. "Here's my number for the next time Shigure decides to make a pest of himself."

A smile lit her face and Hatori caught a glimpse of what Shigure saw in her.

"Thank you." She said. "I'll call you when he gets back."

Two days later, Mii was pleasantly surprised to find the latest manuscript outside her door, waiting for her.

She carefully opened the folder it was in. Handwritten on the front page was a dedication. It read:

'_To my editor, who puts up with all of my teasing.' _


End file.
